Two Film Reviews

These journals are due tomorrow, and I am desperately trying to find things to write about. I have been sick and really haven't felt like writing anything. When you can't think of what to write, write what you know. In my case, that would be movies. I just saw two highly acclaimed films, and I figured I give you my thoughts on them.

"No Country for Old Men" (***)
"No Country for Old Men" is a riveting thriller directed by the Coen brothers. It really is a well-crafted film that, for the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed. The screenplay is excellent, filled with much piercing dialogue and wit. I really enjoyed the performance of Javier Bardem. He gives the best creepy performance since Anthony Hopkins in "The Silence of the Lambs." Right now he is the frontrunner to win Best Supporting Actor. I also liked Tommy Lee Jones' performance. This is probably his best performance to date as the story's moral narrator. The story, even if the viewer doesn't realize it at first, is his. I don't think his performance will be nominated though, because he will be competing against Bardem who has received much of the praise. The one thing I didn't like about the film was the ending. I thought it could have ended about ten minutes earlier. I am not totally furious at the ending however. I have since realized that some of the scenes were necessary. The car accident scene for instance, I thought served no purpose, but then after analyzing the film and reading the reviews it shows that Bardem's character could not be stopped. The tagline says, "You Can't Stop What's Coming." Ending on the Jones' dream was weird, but like I said it was Jones' story. Also, I would like to praise this film for being as gripping as it was without a musical score. I didn't even realize this at first, but it's true. The film was very suspenseful in parts, and it did this not without music. The film worked because it was such a gripping story.

"I'm Not There" (**1/2)
I really don't know what to make of Todd Haynes' ode to Bob Dylan, "I'm Not There." I am not a huge fan of Bob Dylan and don't know much about him. This may have been the reason I was completely amazed by this film. The story is told through interwoven vignettes. If one does not know much about Bob Dylan, then one can just take these segments for what they are: stories. Certain segments were definitely stronger than others, and this could be seen as one of the film's weak points. Cate Blanchett definitely has the best role of the film. Her story is the most fascinating, and apparently the most accurate depiction of Dylan. I think she gave a really good performance that will definitely be nominated come Oscar nominations. I thought she did an excellent job, and it was definitely a different performance for her. I also liked Heath Ledger's performance. His story was very interesting, and he proves that "Brokeback Mountain" was no flop. He should, in my opinion, when an Oscar one day (He should have won it for "Brokeback Mountain."). I also liked the cinematography of the film; Haynes' took a unique approach to shooting this film. "I'm Not There" is definitely an experimental film, an unconventional biopic. The film worked for me, because it was something fresh, even if it wasn't always compelling. The film may not have been all that great, but it was always interesting.